Royal Wedding 2011

Prince William and Catherine Middleton sealed their wedding vows with a traditional kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace Friday as millions in London and around the world roared their approval.

The short peck — and a slightly longer smooch a couple of minutes later — followed a glittering service at Westminster Abbey in which the prince and the newly created Duchess of Cambridge were pronounced husband and wife.

The kisses were followed by a traditional fly-by of vintage and modern planes from Britain's Royal Air Force.

About two hours later, the couple surprised crowds gathered outside the palace by emerging in a blue convertible Aston Martin and driving around for a few minutes. The car was decorated with a multicolored ribbon across the hood and dragged what appeared to be tin cans, a traditional British touch.

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..The couple took their vows at about 11:15 a.m. (6:15 a.m. ET) with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, officiating.

The prince, 28, dressed in the resplendent red tunic of the Irish Guards, appeared to initially struggle to get the wedding ring, made of Welsh gold, onto the elegant, tiara-bedecked Middleton's finger.

William said "I will" in a clear confident voice, when asked if he would "love, comfort, honor and keep" Middleton, 29. She appeared slightly emotional as she repeated her vows.

The prince was spotted winking at his new bride — the first "commoner" to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years — after they exchanged vows.

American Idol 2010: Meet the Top 24

After several rounds of hardcore auditioning and meeting thousands of talented (and not so talented) Idol wannabes, the good ole American Idol judges have picked this year's top 24. MSN Entertainment gives you the lowdown on each contender still living the dream.

Although barely a month into the new season, American Idol has already grabbed headlines and the attentions of viewers around the globe, with the Top 24 contestants having just been announced last week. Between Paula Abdul's dramatic exit and Simon Cowell's X-Factor announcement, the backstage gossip has threatened to outshine the talent on this year's show.

Mere days after the finalists were announced, another bomb dropped when 25-year-old shoe salesman Chris Golightly, initially picked as one of the Top 24, was disqualified from the show. According to Fox, Chris was "ineligible to continue in the competition" because he had a standing recording contract with a label.

While it hasn't always been smooth-sailing, we have to admit that this year's contestants are a talented bunch. As good as the Idol headlines were, the hopeful voices shone through, reminding critics and fans alike how the show earned its place on the dais.

2010 : New mudslide alert in Madeira as Portugal mourns dead

Rescuers were braced to find more bodies in flooded carparks and mud-filled homes two days after killer mudslides ripped through the picturesque Atlantic island, gutting buildings and overturning cars.

A Portuguese warship carrying helicopters and loaded with medical and relief supplies arrived off southern Madeira Monday, with more gendarmes and emergency workers to fly in on a military aircraft later in the day.

Buildings were still threatening to cave in across the southern region surrounding the main city of Funchal, where the violence of the storm partly destroyed a four-lane highway.

In Ribeira Brava, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Funchal, authorities ordered 30 to 40 people to evacuate their homes for fear a nearby hillside was about to collapse, the local mayor told TSF radio.

Families were also evacuated from a high-risk zone in Ponta do Sol a bit further west while a helicopter surveyed damage to the surrounding hills, local mayor Rui Marques told the Lusa news agency.

Green groups and construction experts charge that rogue development has left Madeira vulnerable to flash floods. Related article: Breakneck development blamed for Madeira flood toll.

The island has undergone spectacular modernisation in the past 30 years but hundreds of buildings have sprung up on flood-prone land, with roads and luxury hotels preventing engorged rivers from releasing water into the soil, they say.

Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.

The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

By some measures, he ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. In fact, he united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie.

As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grownup life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died," a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out, shortly after the news was annunced. Immediately many riders reached for their cell phones.

In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

King of Pop Michael Jackson is dead: official

– Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died on Thursday. He was 50.

Jackson was pronounced dead after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest, Los Angeles coroner Fred Corral said. The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday, he said.

Jackson's sudden death had been reported earlier by U.S. media including the Los Angeles Times and the TMZ entertainment website, which said he was taken ill at his home and rushed to the hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.
Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson's dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
But Jackson's belief that "I am Peter Pan in my heart", his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also earned him critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.
Quincy Jones, who helped arrange the music on the album "Thriller" and produced the "Off the Wall" album, told MSNBC: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news."
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

PARAMEDICS UNABLE TO REVIVE SINGER

TMZ said on its website that Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. "We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the site said.

The Los Angeles Times said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the singer's home before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.

Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

Outside the hospital in Los Angeles about 200 fans and reporters gathered on Thursday, waiting for confirmation of Jackson's death or condition.

Some fans were crying and hugging each other, and others were climbing atop fences to get a better look at a microphone stand where a news conference was supposed to take place.
"I hope he's gone to God, and I hope that he's free of all the troubles he's been plagued with," Tonya Blazer, 50, who said she had been a fan going back more than four decades to his days as a child star.

"I just feel like I'm paying tribute to him," said Dawn Burgess, 42, a fan who said she had posters of Michael pinned to her bedroom wall when she was a child.

CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR

Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

New Yorkers and tourists in the city's Times Square were shocked at the news of Jackson's death.

"I don't know what to say. It's sad, it's really, really sad," said Nicole Smith, an 18-year-old student from Brooklyn, New York, in Times Square. "My mother was a fan. I listened to his music."

"I'm shocked. I thought someone was lying to me when I first heard it. I was a fan from when he was a little boy and then he got weird," said Sue Sheider, 51, a teacher from Long Island.

(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Frances Kerry, Editing by Jackie Frank)

The Year's Top-Earning 'Idols'

For Adam Lambert or Kris Allen, winning this week's much-anticipated American Idol finale will mean a short-lived media frenzy and the sudden adoration of millions of fans. It could also mean a big paycheck down the road.

David Cook, the scruffy rocker and winner of the last Idol competition, earned an estimated $2 million since June of 2008. That's a huge boost from what Cook made as a struggling singer-songwriter in Tulsa, Okla., before the winning the Idol crown last May.

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Forbes estimates that Cook generated the bulk of his income from the 1.1 million copies sold of his self-titled major label debut album. Cook supplemented his music sales with a live tour and a product sponsorship deal with sneaker maker Skechers.

Cook's final competitor, David Archuleta, has also enjoyed a remarkably lucrative year since making it to the Idol finals. Archuleta made an estimated $1.3 million from sales of his first album and more than 100 live concerts.

Yet for a lesson in how to build truly massive riches, the current finalists should study the brief career of season-four winner Carrie Underwood. The farm girl turned songstress has gone on to a hugely lucrative recording, touring and product endorsement career. Underwood raked in an estimated $14 million last year, enough to secure the title of top-earning Idol alum.

With her carefully crafted Nashville pop, Underwood cultivates a massive audience spanning both country and Top 40 fans. Her debut album, Some Hearts, spent 11 weeks in 2007 at the top of the Billboard album charts. Songs from her second effort, Carnival Ride, got massive airplay on both country and adult alternative radio. All told, Underwood has sold 9.6 million albums and 10.7 million digital downloads, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Along with producing crowd-pleasing albums, Underwood understands the financial importance of hitting the road. She has played more than 300 shows since her Idol win. Each performance brings in about $350,000 to be split between Underwood and the concert promoter, according to Pollstar.

Underwood has also supplemented her recording and touring income with sizable product endorsement payments. She generates tabloid buzz with her personal life--former alleged flames include Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo and Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford--but avoids the personal meltdowns that afflict other young female celebrities, making her an ideal pitchwoman for consumer products companies. Vitamin Water, owned by Coca-Cola, pays Underwood to endorse its beverages.

Jennifer Hudson, eliminated midway through the third season, was the second-best paid Idol alum over the past year. Following the show, Hudson smartly bet her best chance and superstardom would come from work that blends her musical and acting talents.
In 2006, Hudson took a supporting role in the film adaptation of the Motown musical Dreamgirls. She won an Academy Award for the performance and has since scored roles in the Sex in the City movie and Winged Creatures, an upcoming indie flick also starring Kate Beckinsale and Forest Whitaker.

Her movie roles, along with a well-regarded album and endorsements from Gap and Avon, earned Hudson an estimated $5 million.

Kelly Clarkson, the first Idol champion, holds the title of most albums sold by a show alumnus. The 27-year-old with the powerful voice has sold over 10 million records since 2003, generating a steady stream of cash. Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted, released in March, is currently at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.

Another popular career path for Idol contestants is taking their voices on to Broadway or on tour with roving productions of popular musicals. Clay Aiken, the quirky second-place finisher from the second season, boosted his 2008 earnings by performing on Broadway in the Monty Python musical "Spamalot."

Taylor Hicks, winner of the fifth season, is currently playing the role of Teen Angel in a national tour of Grease. Hicks has also toured extensively as a solo artist and released two solidly popular albums of bluesy tunes.

Constantine Maroulis, who finished sixth place in the fourth season, is the most decorated Idol-turned-Broadway star. This month, he received a Tony nomination for his leading role in "Rock of Ages."

Still, without a big-selling album, endorsement contract or solo tour, Maroulis fell just short of our list of top 10 Idol alums.

As Ms. Underwood can attest, a multi-platform approach is essential to post-Idol riches.

Sarawak: Kem tentera Bintulu

Sebuah lagi kem angkatan Tentera Darat Malaysia (TDM) akan diwujudkan di negeri ini, berpangkalan di Bintulu, tidak lama lagi.

Panglima Divisyen Pertama Infantri, Datuk Mazelan Kasap, berkata kawasan tapak kem baru itu sudah dikenal pasti, namun cadangan itu masih pada peringkat perancangan pembinaan.

"Kita akan mempunyai sebuah lagi kem tentera di Bintulu, tetapi belum diputuskan bila akan bermula, namun tapaknya terletak di laluan jalan raya menuju Miri," katanya kepada wartawan selepas merasmikan majlis korban di perkarangan Masjid Solahuddin Ai-Ayyubi Kem Penrissen, di sini semalam.

Tujuh lembu yang disumbangkan Menteri Muda di Pejabat Ketua Menteri (Hal Ehwal Islam), Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman; Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Taib; Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Muara Tuang, Datuk Seri Ali Mahmud; dan Adun Jepak, Datuk Talib Zulpilip dikorbankan pada majlis itu.

China offers pieces of Bird's Nest for 420 dollars: report

Beijing has started selling souvenir sets of left-over grass and steel from its famed Bird's Nest Olympic stadium for 2,900 yuan (420 dollars) each, Chinese media reported Thursday.

The packs include grass cut on the night of the Games' closing ceremony, preserved in a clear box, and model Olympic torches made of steel that was not used for construction of the National Stadium, the Beijing News said.

There are 10,000 souvenir sets available for sale inside the Bird's Nest, as well as various department stores around Beijing and online, the report said.

The Bird's Nest, which seats 91,000 people, became the symbol of the Games held in August in China's capital, attracting worldwide attention for its striking design of interlocking steel girders.

It hosted the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics competition and football final.

It has since proved a hit with tourists, attracting 60,000 visitors on its October 1 opening day, and thousands of people every day since.

But the venue has also attracted controversy due to charges of 50 yuan (7.3 dollars) for a tour inside, which some locals and sections of the state-run press have said are too high.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the average Beijing household has only 60 yuan of disposable income per day.

India probes Pakistan links to Mumbai attacks

Indian police investigating who was behind the massive militant assault on Mumbai interrogated Sunday the only gunman who survived, as Pakistan insisted it was not involved.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari urged India not to "over-react" after Indian and US officials suggested the militants, who killed nearly 200 people, could have been from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The group, which is fighting against Indian control of Kashmir, was behind the deadly 2001 assault on the Indian parliament that pushed New Delhi and Islamabad to the brink of war.

Indian media reported that the badly-injured gunman had identified all the attackers as Pakistan citizens and acknowledged that they were trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Ajmal Amir Kamal, 21, who was caught on a CCTV camera wearing a T-shirt with the logo "Versace," was reportedly being interrogated in a safe-house in Mumbai.

US counter-terrorism officials told AFP some evidence was emerging that Lashkar-e-Taiba could have been behind the Mumbai attacks , while Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee named "elements in Pakistan" as responsible.

Lashkar-e-Taiba has denied any responsibility.

Intelligence chiefs scrambled to explain why they had failed to prevent at least a dozen militants� mounting the multiple attacks on the city on Wednesday evening.

Security forces only regained control of Mumbai 60 hours later when they succeeded in killing the last three militants holed up with hostages inside the famous Taj Mahal hotel .

The previous day, elite troops had stormed a Mumbai Jewish centre and killed two gunmen -- but also found eight dead Israeli hostages.

Another luxury hotel that was attacked, the Oberoi/Trident, was cleared of militants late Friday, with scores of trapped guests rescued and dozens of bodies found.

Officials said that 195 people had been killed and nearly 300 injured in the attacks, which began when the militants split into groups to strike multiple targets across the city, including the main railway station and a hospital.

About 30 foreigners were killed including nine Israelis, five Americans, two French, two Australians and two Canadians.

One militant group entered Mumbai by boat, while others had arrived a month ago to stockpile arms and explosives and infiltrate the targets before the attacks were launched.

Survivors have given terrifying accounts of the carnage. Phillippe Meyer, who had been on a business trip to Mumbai, said he was stuck in one of the hotels targeted by militants.

"We found ourselves shut away in our rooms for a very long time, about 40 hours. The information was very confusing," said Meyer, 53, as he returned to France.

Television footage of the inside of the Taj hotel showed half-eaten meals left on tables as diners fled for their lives.

The restaurant walls were pockmarked with bullet holes and the floor covered with a thick layer of glass.

"I cannot believe what I have seen in the last 36 hours. I have seen dead bodies, blood everywhere and only heard gunshots," said Muneer Al Mahaj, an Iraqi national, after he was rescued.

Witnesses said the attackers had specifically rounded up foreigners� with US and British passports.

The United States, Israel and Britain were among countries that offered expert assistance to help with the investigation.

Jackson Five

The Jackson Five, the group that launched the career of pop superstar Michael Jackson, are planning to reunite for a world tour next year, his older brother said, according to Australian media.

Jermaine Jackson said his siblings, including Michael and Janet, were on board as he attended a pay TV launch in Sydney Wednesday, the national AAP news agency reported.

"This has been a long time coming for the Jackson family to get back together," Jermaine Jackson told AAP.

"It is just the timing, so what we've been doing is working on the music and all the logistics."
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael last toured together in 1984 as The Jacksons -- with six members, including Randy Jackson -- having originally formed the Jackson Five in 1965.

The group stopped touring together as Michael and Janet became international music superstars on their own, and the Jackson Five formally disbanded in 1990.

"It is going to be more like a family affair, Janet's going to open and, of course, the original Jackson 5 ... Michael, Randy and the whole family ... we're in the studio, we're planning on being out there next year," Jermaine was quoted by AAP as saying.

Jermaine was the guest of honour at the Multi Channel Network's 2009 launch to advertisers in Sydney. Other guests included US actor Jenna Elfman, Sarah Murdoch and Olympian Ian Thorpe.

US scientists perfect targeted memory erasure in mice

US researchers said Wednesday they are able to selectively erase memories from mice in a laboratory, raising hopes human memory afflictions like post-traumatic stress syndrome can one day be cured.

"Targeted memory erasure is no longer limited to the realm of science fiction," the research team headed by Joe Tsien, from the Brain and Behavior Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia, said in Thursday's issue of Cell Press magazine.

The new technique, which the team stress is at a very early stage, could be applied one day to the human brain to erase traumatic memories or deep-set fears, and leave all other memories unaffected.

Memory is generally separated into four different stages: acquisition, consolidation, storage, and retrieval. Earlier research identified specific molecules that appear to play a role in the various phases of the memory process.

But Tsien said his team found a way to quickly manipulate the activity of the "memory molecule," the protein CaMKII (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) that plays a key role in brain cell communication, and so is linked to many aspects of learning and memory.

Researchers developed a "chemical genetic strategy," which made it possible to manipulate the protein in transgenic mice, which had been bred to overproduce the molecule.

"Using this technique, we examined the manipulation of transgenic CaMKII activity on the retrieval of short-term and long-term fear memories and novel object recognition memory" in transgenic mice, Tsien said.

The team figured out they could manipulate the protein in the mice's brain as the animal was stimulated, and observe the brain's ability to recall memory of the stimulation.

Through the protein manipulation, researchers then found a way to not just block the mice's memory of the stimulation, but erase them without impacting the brain's ability to recall other memories.

Tsien became famous in 1999 for his creation of Doggie, the smart transgenic mouse with enhanced learning and memory abilities.

In the recent findings, Tsien's team found that transient excessive activity of CaMKII at the time of recall impaired retrieval of short- and long-term fear memories, as well as memories formed as recently as one hour.

They also showed that recall deficits linked to excessive CaMKII activity were not caused by a blockade of the recall process but instead seemed to be due to rapid erasure of the stored memories.

In addition, they found that the erased memories were limited to those being retrieved, while others remained intact.

"The results demonstrate a successful genetic method for rapidly and specifically erasing specific memories, such as new and old fear memories, in a controlled and inducible manner without doing harm to the brain cells," the researchers said.

Tsien said the technique might one day be applied to war veterans who "often suffer from reoccurring traumatic memory replays after returning home."

However, he warned that it was premature to expect a such a miracle cure.

"No one should expect to have a pill do the same in humans any time soon, we are barely at the foot of a very tall mountain," he said.

Financial crisis could cost 20 million jobs by end 2009

The financial crisis could lead to record global unemployment with 20 million more people out of work by the end of 2009, International Labour Organization chief Juan Somavia warned Monday.

Estimates from the ILO indicate that the "number of unemployed could rise from 190 million in 2007 to 210 million in late 2009," said Somavia, marking the "first time in history that we pass 210 million."

The population of working poor living on less than a dollar a day could grow by 40 million and those on two dollars a day by over 100 million, added the ILO.

But Somavia said these projections "could prove to be underestimates if the effects of the current economic contraction and looming recession are not quickly confronted."

Thousands of jobs have already been slashed on Wall Street and other financial centres as banks collapse or are forced to merge due to the credit crunch.

But the ILO said the axe was likely to reach ordinary working people, with sectors including construction, the automotive industry, tourism, services and real estate bearing the brunt of the financial storm.

Somavia, who had earlier urged greater protection for workers in the crisis, said: "This is not simply a crisis on Wall Street, this is a crisis on all streets. We need an economic rescue plan for working families and the real economy, with rules and policies that deliver decent jobs."

Most vulnerable are the poor, stressed the ILO, echoing the results of a report on income inequalities it released last week that warned that the gap between rich and poor could widen due to the financial crisis.

"The gap between richer and poorer households widened since the 1990s," said Raymond Torres, director of the ILO's research arm which produced its "World of Work Report 2008."
"The present global financial crisis is bound to make matters worse unless long-term structural reforms are adopted," he added last Thursday.

Global unemployment stands at 6.1 percent, but many countries are seeing jobless rates nudging up.

Hong Kong earlier Monday said its jobless rate rose to 3.4 percent for the three months to September, compared to 3.2 percent in the three months to August.
Meanwhile, the United States reported earlier this month that it had lost 159,000 jobs in September.

Somavia called for "prompt and coordinated government actions to avert a social crisis" and said he welcomed calls for "better financial regulation and a global surveillance system of checks and balances."

"We must return to the basic function of finance, which is to promote the real economy. To lend so that entrepreneurs can invest, innovate, produce jobs and goods and services," he said.
The crisis offered an "opportunity" to re-balance globalisation which had grown "unfair, unsustainable and unbalanced," he added.

Obama tells 175,000 supporters: change is coming

Democrat Barack Obama said Saturday the winds of change were blowing across America as he roused monster crowds totalling more than 175,000 in the Republican "red" state of Missouri.

Republican John McCain, fighting a rearguard offensive before the November 4 presidential election, insisted that Obama's economic plan would "kill" job creation as the United States weathers its worst financial crisis in decades.

"At least in Europe, the Socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are upfront about their objectives," he said in his weekly radio address.

But the Democrat, who is riding high in national and state polls, said McCain was positing false arguments including via automated "robo-calls" to voters that portray Obama as a secret radical bent on subverting democracy.

Missouri voted for Republican President George W. Bush in both the last two elections, but Obama said "the winds are blowing for change across America" as he campaigned in the state metropolises of St Louis and Kansas City.

"They're blowing in Kansas, they're blowing in Missouri, they're blowing in North Carolina, they're blowing in Virginia, they're blowing in Ohio," he said, reeling off a list of states that all backed Bush in 2004 and 2000.

Police said the crowd in St Louis numbered at least 100,000 -- Obama's biggest yet in the United States, second overall only to the 200,000 who saw him speak in Berlin in July. The Kansas City crowd was more than 75,000.

The gigantic attendance numbers were testimony to Obama's oratorical pulling power and boded well for his flipping a state, Missouri, from red to Democratic "blue."

At rallies in North Carolina and Virginia, two other red states now very much in play, McCain once again invoked Ohio plumber Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher, a new hero of conservatives after challenging Obama on taxes.

"Joe's dream is to own a small business that will create jobs in his community, and the attacks on him are an attack on small businesses all over the country," McCain said as a harsh media spotlight turns on Wurzelbacher.

Joe the Plumber and low taxes have become McCain's latest campaign motifs as the 72-year-old Republican vies to resuscitate his flagging White House hopes on the final stretch to the election.

Obama was ahead of McCain by 50 percent to 42 percent in Saturday's Gallup national tracking poll. In the Rasmussen tracking poll, the Democrat was up 50 percent to 45.

But Obama, 47, reiterated his message of recent days that supporters should not get "cocky."

"Democrats have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws from victory. You can't let up. You can't pay too much attention to the polls. We've got to keep running through that finish line," he said.

The Democrat noted McCain was describing his own plans for middle-class tax relief as government "welfare" that would take money from the rich to give to the poor.

"The only 'welfare' in this campaign is John McCain's plan to give another 200 billion dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest corporations in America ... that's who John McCain is fighting for," he said.

"But we can't afford four more years like the last eight. George Bush and John McCain are out of ideas, they are out of touch, and if you stand with me, in 17 days they will be out of time."

McCain is stepping up an offensive on Obama's ties to former 1960s radical William Ayers with "robo" phone calls in swing states that also accuse the Democrat of supporting the killing of babies born alive in abortions.

McCain's opponents unleashed robo-call smears when he was up against Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000, and even party colleagues such as Maine Senator Susan Collins say the tactic smacks of desperation this time.

"It's despicable, especially coming from John McCain," Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass told AFP.

But the McCain campaign insisted the attack calls were rooted in fact and said Obama was hoodwinking voters over his past.

US offers banks capital infusion, lifting hope in credit crisis

US authorities unveiled plans Tuesday to inject billions of dollars into banks to ease a global credit crisis, as European economies showed signs of recession and a powerful global stock rally stalled.

The government infusion of up to 250 billion dollars into struggling banks and new guarantees to help restore credit flows marked the latest effort in the battle against a loss of global confidence.

Nine large banks including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs agreed to give the government equity stakes in exchange for new capital, officials said on announcing the first program of its kind since the Great Depression.

"This is an essential short-term measure to ensure the viability of America's banking system," President George W. Bush said on unveiling the initiative.

Bush said the measures "are not intended to take over the free market, but to preserve it."

Analysts said the effort by Washington on the heels of similar efforts in Britain and elsewhere offered hope that the crippling financial crisis could be tamed.

"It took a while, but US policymakers have finally deployed measures aimed directly at the heart of the problem," said economist Aneta Markowska at Societe Generale.

John Ryding at RDQ Economics said the actions by the United States and other economic powers "finally mark the wider firebreak that will contain the crisis."

But he said the major economies "appear to have already slipped into recession and the aftershocks of the recent intensification of the credit crisis will likely further hurt these economies. Nonetheless, we think that the risk of a catastrophic failure of the financial system has now been significantly reduced."

A powerful global stock rally that began a day earlier in anticipation of the US plan ran out of steam however.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.82 percent to 9,310.99, giving back a portion of a whopping 936-point or 11 percent gain Monday, which was the biggest point gain ever and largest percentage rise in 75 years.

The Nasdaq fell a hefty 3.54 percent reflecting worries about profits in the tech sector and the broad Standard & Poor's 500 index dipped 0.53 percent after surging on Monday.

In London the FTSE 100 index of leading shares rose 3.23 percent while in Paris the CAC 40, which on Monday gained more than 11 percent, added 2.75 percent.

The Frankfurt Dax, which had also eclipsed 11 percent on Monday, finished with a gain of 2.70 percent.

Markets across the globe have been in a state of panic since the middle of last month when Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy after the US government refused to bail it out.

Banks and other financial institutions around the world have been hit by bad debts stemming from the granting of so-called subprime loans to house-buyers in the United States.

The chairman of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker, warned meanwhile that it was too early to sound the all-clear on the financial crisis.

"Despite the positive reaction of the markets in the last two days, there is no reason to declare the end of financial crisis and swing into exaggerated enthusiasm," Juncker told the Luxembourg parliament.

Earlier Tuesday, Japan's Nikkei stock index posted its biggest ever gain, skyrocketing more than 14 percent as investors flocked back to the market on hopes of an easing of the crisis.

The Bank of Japan also announced new steps on Tuesday aimed at thawing frozen bank lending, offering unlimited dollar funds, as it left its super-low interest rates on hold at an extraordinary meeting.

Australia launched a 7.25 billion US dollar economic stimulus package which Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said was intended to address concerns that the crisis was moving beyond dramatic losses in share values to pose a threat to economic growth.

France's lower house of parliament approved the country's massive 360-billion-euro (490-billion-dollar) bank rescue package, with the upper house due to consider the proposal on Wednesday.

Some of the shine from the renewed financial market confidence was rubbed off by downbeat data highlighting how the turbulence had affected jobs and growth.

A new Bank of France forecast predicted the economy would contract 0.1 percent in the third quarter, showed the country was heading into recession after a 0.3 percent drop in the previous quarter.

A group of German economic think tanks said Europe's biggest economy was likely to grow at only around 0.2 percent in 2009.

"In the autumn of 2008, the German economy is on the brink of a recession," the six institutes wrote in their latest economic outlook.

Ireland's economy will contract by 0.75 percent next year, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said as he delivered his budget.

In Washington, banks will have an option to join the nine major lenders in the capital infusion program, in which the government gets "senior preferred shares" which would be "non-voting" except to protect investment rights, according to a Treasury statement.

Banks in the program will agree to limits on executive pay and other benefits.

In a related move, the government will also temporarily guarantee bank debt that includes interbank funding and offer unlimited deposit insurance for many accounts as part of a stepped-up global effort to stem a credit crunch.

Officials also said that the Federal Reserve would soon act as the "buyer of last resort" for commercial paper, which is short-term corporate debt that is critical for financial markets and companies needing cash for operating expenses.

The efforts are part of the 700-billion-dollar bank bailout announced last month. European nations announced their own 1.8 trillion euro (2.4 trillion dollar) package on Monday after a weekend pledge by the world's wealthiest nations to use all available tools to save key financial institutions.

US lawmakers reject 700-billion-dollar bailout

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2008 (AFP) - The US House of Representatives Monday dramatically rejected a 700-billion-dollar Wall Street bailout, sending stocks crashing to their worst single day loss ever and deepening the US financial crisis.

As a palpable sense of fear ricocheted through Washington, President George W. Bush said he was "disappointed" that the bailout foundered, as Democrats accused Republican conservatives of killing the bill for ideological reasons.

The president immediately summoned top advisers to tackle the latest crisis "head on," and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was seen hurrying into the West Wing of the White House.Shockwaves reverberated through the presidential race and congressional campaigns just five weeks before the November 4 general election, and a blame game erupted between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Amid panic selling on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 777.68 votes (6.98 percent) and the Nasdaq crashed 199.61 points (9.14 percent) to 1,983.73, its lowest since 2005.In scenes of suspense, tension and shock rarely seen on the House floor, Republican foes of the bill and rebel Democrats combined to doom the bill by 228 votes to 205, after Bush had pleaded for its passage.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged to go back to work to pass a new bill, but a senior Democratic lawmaker said nothing would happen until at least Thursday as many members had gone home for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

The 15-minute vote was kept open for 40 minutes as Democratic and Republican leaders made desperate attempts to twist arms of lawmakers who voted no.One senior Democrat said Republicans had reneged on a pledge to get 50 percent of their caucus plus one member to vote for the bailout, pointing out that 60 percent of Democrats backed the plan.

Leading Democrat David Obey reacted bitterly, saying Republican leadership, including the president and Republican presidential nominee John McCain, "have lost total control over their own party."

"Evidently some of those guys would rather lose an economy than lose an election."House Republican Leader John Boehner blamed what he called a partisan speech to the House by Pelosi shortly before the vote.

"I don't know that we know the path forward from this point. We need everybody to calm down and relax and get back to work."

But Barney Frank, the top House Democrat in charge of negotiating the bill, dismissed such critics of Pelosi's speech as pure "pettiness" and said Republicans were trying to cover up their embarrassment over the split party.

"Give me those 12 people's names and I will go talk uncharacteristally nicely to them," he said.Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama meanwhile appealed for calm, seeking to stablize global markets and show composure-in-a-crisis leadership credentials.

"I'm confident that we're going to get there but it's going to be a little rocky," he said in Colorado.
"It's important for the markets to stay calm because things are never smooth in Congress and to understand that it will get done," Obama said.

There was no immediate reaction from McCain, who had boasted that he had helped bring the rebel Republicans along to vote for the deal.

But his economic advisor Doug Holz-Eakin blamed Obama for politicizing the situation -- an identical charge McCain critics threw at the Arizona senator last week after he injected himself into the process.

"Barack Obama failed to lead, phoned it in, attacked John McCain and refused to even say if he supported the bill," Holz-Eakin said.

Republican Congressman Paul Broun from Georgia compared the bill to a "huge cow patty with a marshmallow stuck in the middle of it."

Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, also a Republican, warned that the bailout ran counter to the principles of American government.

"Economic freedom means the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail," he said.

The bailout proposal would grant the Treasury secretary authority to buy up toxic mortgage-related assets in troubled banks in hopes of easing the flow of credit and reviving the moribund housing market.

The bill would have immediately released 250 billion dollars to enable the government to buy up troubled assets, and sets a ceiling for all purchases of 700 billion dollars.It also prohibits "golden parachutes" for CEOs or other executives who lose or leave their jobs at companies participating in the plan as long as the Treasury holds equity in those firms.

AFP

F1's future is in Asia, says Williams

The future of Formula One lies in Asia not Europe, according to Sir Frank Williams, who was hugely impressed by the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Williams team boss, who saw his driver Nico Rosberg finish second in the first-ever night race, said that with Asia's economic rise, led by China and India, the importance of Europe and the United States was diminishing.

"The future for F1 is absolutely in the Far East," he told the Today newspaper here. "Asia is big."
With Singapore now on the calendar, Asia and the Middle East have six Grand Prix races -- Australia, Bahrain, China, Japan and Malaysia being the others.

Abu Dhabi will make its debut next year, with South Korea coming on board on 2010 and India, initially expected to stage a race in 2010, now slated for 2011.

Their inclusion comes at the expense of Formula One's traditional base in Europe as the sport aims for a more globalised calendar.

Williams said Formula One "will put more of a sporting face on this nation," referring to Singapore, adding that it had "a good chance of challenging Monaco for being the jewel in the crown of Formula One."

"Like I said, empires go round and round, and I hope the Singapore Grand Prix will put more interest in Singapore and this part of the world."

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has long worked to steer the glamorous sport towards Asia and the Middle East, seeing the untapped markets as critical to maintaining sponsor and spectator interest.

The billionaire, who holds Formula One's commercial rights, said over the weekend that Singapore was an example to follow and would make people reconsider their opinions of Asia and its ability to host Grand Prix.

"When you think about it, most parts of Asia where people have visited, they sort of put everything in one basket," he told reporters.

"Singapore is the same as India, Malaysia and Thailand, that's how they feel because they don't know any better.

"But hopefully this will open people's eyes and they'll say, my God, Singapore really is alive and well."

Monday, 29 September 2008

Water-themed resort boosts Dubai's tourist aspirations

Dubai, home to the world's tallest tower and and other extravagant landmarks, boasts a new resort billed as unique in the Middle East: the ocean-themed Atlantis, where a night will cost up to 25,000 dollars.

Inspired by the legend of the lost continent, the resort offers "experiences that are new to the Middle East," said its president and managing director Alan Leibman, in line with the emirate's penchant for superlatives and drive to become a top tourist destination.

At Atlantis, this includes water thrills, a marine habitat and more than a dozen restaurants run by world-class chefs including Japanese sushi mogul Nobu Matsuhisa and Michel Rostang of France.

The first guests were welcomed this past week at the site on Palm Jumeirah, one of three palm tree-shaped man-made islands emerging off the coast of Dubai.

The opening even as construction work continues on Palm Jumeirah underscores Dubai's race to more than double the number of visitors to 15 million by 2015.

One of seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai already hosts one of the world's most exclusive hotels, the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab, dozens of other luxurious seafront hotels, and the "Burj Dubai," Arabic for Dubai Tower, the world's tallest skyscraper.

With a distinct desire to offer the tallest and biggest, Dubai will also have the world's largest shopping mall.

And the Atlantis fits right into the picture, as "an entertainment destination that is truly different to anything that exists in the resort category in the region," aid Leibman.

But that might not be for long. Scores of other ambitious ventures are underway or in the pipeline, including Dubailand, a series of billion-dollars entertainment and leisure projects touted as the Middle East's very own Orlando, which will include a Universal Studios theme park.

The "Palm" islands face competition on their own turf from "The World", a cluster of some 300 artificial islands looking like a blurred vision of the planet's nations.

Developed by Kerzner International as only the second such resort after the Atlantis-Paradise Island in the Bahamas, Atlantis-The Palm cost 1.5 billion dollars and has 1,539 rooms at rates ranging from 700 dollars to a staggering 25,000 dollars for some suites.

The hotel opened on schedule despite a recent fire which ravaged its lobby, though the pomp and ceremony have been put off until the formal inauguration in November.

According to the management, the hotel is nearly fully booked. But although Dubai has become a regional business and tourist hub, promoters said they are targeting the US, European and Asian markets and do not expect clients from the Middle East to fill up more than a quarter of the establishment.

"Aquaventure", a water playground of over 18 million litres of water, is accessible to visitors for prices ranging from 52 dollars for children to 60 dollars for adults. The waterscape features water slides with names such as "Leap of Faith", including two which catapult riders through shark-filled lagoons.

Atlantis' marine habitat will be stocked with thousands of marine animals and include a "Dolphin Bay".

But one of the main attractions which promoters are counting on to draw crowds faced with a wide choice of entertainment in Dubai are the resort's top-end restaurants run by world-class chefs.

"What I'm offering here is authentic French cuisine, not a bit of everything. I am a champion of tradition" in French cuisine, said the two-star Michelin chef Rostang of his French Brasserie.

China astronauts return after historic mission

Three astronauts who conducted China's first-ever space walk landed safely back on Chinese soil on Sunday, bringing an end to the latest historic mission by the country's young space programme.

The descent capsule of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft drifted down to a soft landing in northern China's Inner Mongolia region in footage broadcast live on state-run CCTV.

Within minutes, technicians reached the capsule by car and began helping Zhai and fellow crew members Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng out.

"I feel proud for the nation," commander Zhai Zhigang told a television crew that arrived at the site.

The trio were then quickly whisked away for medical checks.

Their return came a day after Zhai conducted the spacewalk, making China just the third country to perform the feat after the United States and the former Soviet Union four decades ago.

The mission has been hailed in China as a landmark in the country's quest to become a space power.

Under China's fledgling space programme, two more unmanned craft will be launched by 2010, as well as another manned spaceship with a crew of three to start work on building a lab or space station, according to state media.

After China sent its first man into space in 2003, it followed up with a two-man mission in 2005.

9/28/2008

Bush summons Obama, McCain for crisis economy talks

Warning "our entire economy is in danger," US President George W. Bush called unprecedented emergency talks for Thursday with the two men vying to succeed him, John McCain and Barack Obama.

Bush announced his summit with the presidential candidates and top congressional leaders in a prime-time televised speech Wednesday seeking public support for his 700-billion-dollar Wall Street rescue plan.

"We're in the midst of a serious financial crisis," Bush said in his 13-minute speech from the White House, after angry legislators on Capitol Hill declared the shock proposal dead on arrival.

"Without immediate action by Congress , America could slip into a financial panic," the president said. "Ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession."

Six weeks before the November 4 elections, and four months before he hands the battered US economy to a new president, Bush said inaction could wipe out banks, empty retirement nest eggs, send home values into freefall, and create millions of new jobless.

"We must not let this happen," he said.

Citing a rare "spirit of cooperation," Bush said he was inviting McCain, Obama, and senior Democratic and Republican leaders from the House and Senate for a 4 pm (2000 GMT) meeting at the White House.

Bush invited Obama in a personal telephone call 90 minutes before his speech on Wednesday, the White House said. The Democrat's chief spokesman, Bill Burton, confirmed in a statement that the Illinois senator would attend.

Obama has worked all week with senior lawmakers, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, Burton said.

"He will continue to work in a bipartisan spirit and do whatever is necessary to come up with a final solution," the spokesman added.

"We will discuss the progress we have made to improve the administration's deeply flawed plan to address this unprecedented crisis ," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

"As I have said throughout, tomorrow's meeting and future deliberations must be focused on solutions, not photo ops," Reid said, after other Democrats mocked McCain's decision to suspend his campaign over the crisis as a gimmick.

The Republican candidate announced he would return to Washington "until this crisis is resolved."

But House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank, who has worked closely with Paulson and Bernanke in negotiating the bailout, expressed concern that McCain -- who suggested Thursday's White House crisis talks -- could be a distraction from attempts to secure a rescue package this week on Capitol Hill.

"We were making progress, and I hope the presidential politics that he is injecting don't stop it," Frank told Fox News.

The Washington Post quoted Frank saying Democrats had reached agreement on the main elements of a bailout bill that they would present to their Republican counterparts Thursday.

Opinion polls show the US public is angry at Wall Street but deeply divided about a remedy, with many ready to blame Bush and his Republican Party -- which itself has fissured over the plan amid fierce objections from conservatives.

They have expressed dismay over the massive government involvement in the economy, while Bush's Democratic foes have pushed for more government oversight and stronger consumer protection.

Defending his position, Bush said: "I faced a choice, to step in with dramatic government action or to stand back and allow the irresponsible actions of some to undermine the financial security of all."

9/25/2008

McCartney in Israel for 'peace' concert

Pop star Paul McCartney, one of two surviving members of the Beatles, arrived in Israel on Wednesday ahead of his first-ever concert in the Jewish state.

The British musician told journalists and fans who greeted him at Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv that he wanted to bring "a message of peace and love" to the Middle East, according to Israeli public radio.

He will perform an outdoor concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday titled "Friendship First".

Over 40,000 tickets have been sold since they went on sale online on Tuesday, with regular seats selling for 150 dollars (100 euros) and VIP seats going for three times as much, according to the ticket office.

McCartney and his entourage will be occupying 21 rooms in a luxury hotel on the Mediterranean, where their bill is expected to exceed 100,000 dollars (66,000 euros), Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported.

The gig, part of a series of one-off concerts in places the 66-year-old musician has never visited before, comes after two previous unsuccessful attempts by McCartney to perform in the Jewish state.

The Beatles drew up plans to play in Israel at the height of Beatlemania in 1965, but they were cancelled after sponsors failed to raise enough money and members of parliament voiced concern they might corrupt young Israeli minds.

McCartney also nearly performed in Israel in the late 1970s, but concerts with his post-Beatles band Wings were cancelled due to problems with the venues, he said in comments posted on his website.

In January, Israel apologised for the cancellation of the 1965 concert in letters to the two surviving members of the Beatles -- McCartney and Ringo Starr -- and the families of deceased members John Lennon and George Harrison.

McCartney has played a number of one-off concerts this year, including the "Independence Concert" in Ukraine in June and a gig in Quebec City in July marking its 400th anniversary.

- 9/24/2008

Aso takes charge of Japan

Taro Aso took charge as Japan's new prime minister Wednesday, lining up his cabinet with like-minded conservatives to help his mission to revive the economy and win upcoming elections.

The divided parliament voted along party lines to install the flamboyant former foreign minister, who was expected to fly a day later to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Aso bowed four times and shook hands with fellow lawmakers after the more powerful lower house approved him.

"I truly feel the heavy responsibility of being prime minister," Aso told a news conference as he announced his cabinet.

"To make Japan a bright and strong nation -- that is my mission," he said.

Aso replaced Yasuo Fukuda, a mild centrist whose ratings dived after he raised medical costs for the elderly.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) picked Aso on Monday as its new leader by an overwhelming majority, placing its trust in a crowd-pleasing -- though gaffe-prone -- campaigner.

Analysts expect him to call a general election as early as late October in a bid to hold off gains by the rising opposition, which has pounded away at the LDP's traditional strongholds in the countryside.

"The final battle has begun. The autumn of elections -- the autumn to change the government -- is coming," said opposition chief Ichiro Ozawa, whose bloc controls one house of parliament.

The LDP has been in power for all but 10 months since 1955, but Aso will be its fourth prime minister in the past two years as the party struggles over a raft of scandals and, more recently, a faltering economy.

Aso said his first priority would be to pump stimulative spending into the economy, the world's second largest but teetering on the brink of recession , clashing with LDP free-market reformists who in recent years have pushed to tame a ballooning public debt.

Aso tapped as his finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa who, echoing the incoming premier, said he would make "full use of all sorts of policies" to invigorate the economy.

"Some people label us as freespenders or old-guard cronies as we say we are not hesitant on fiscal spending," Nakagawa , a former industry minister, wrote in a newspaper column. "But we do not intend to backtrack on reforms."

Nakagawa -- who was shunned by the more dovish Fukuda -- has raised controversy through strong criticism of China and calls for Japan, the only nation to have suffered atomic attack, to study developing nuclear weapons.

"This is the lineup aimed at avoiding any political scandals ahead of the imminent general elections," said Shujiro Kato, professor of politics at Toyo University.

"Nobody reported to be appointed as minister is a fresh face."

The foreign ministry went to Hirofumi Nakasone, the son of one of Japan's best-known premiers, Yasuhiro Nakasone, who led Japan in the 1980s and was a close ally in US president Ronald Reagan's anti-communist campaign.

Like Aso, Nakasone was uneasy with some of the free-market reforms during the 2001-2006 premiership of Junichiro Koizumi, who was popular with the public but blamed by some LDP members for alienating rural voters by cutting services.

However, in a bid to ensure party unity, Aso kept in place Fiscal and Economic Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, who had challenged him for the top job arguing that Aso's economic policies were irresponsible.

Another rival, Shigeru Ishiba, was made farm minister, a position that has frequently been hit by scandal. Ishiba survived resignation calls as he managed crises as Fukuda's defence minister.

Aso promises a return both at home and abroad to some of the more flamboyant ways of Koizumi, who would regale summits by singing Elvis Presley songs, after a two-year gap of drier leaders.

Known for his love of comic books, as foreign minister Aso entertained summits by doing a Humphrey Bogart impersonation and dancing in the costume of a samurai.

- 9/24/2008